May 7, 2012

I'll be honest--the idea of eating flowers is a bit weird to me. Now, I don't mean broccoli or cauliflower or capers. I'm talking about those heavy-smelling, colorful, meaningful-gesture-type flowers.

I've never eaten squash blossoms or anything rose-flavored. Jasmine isn't my cup of tea and I've never even seen daisies that were meant to be consumed. Everything changed when I received some lavender buds with which to play and promptly decided to combine them with lemon for a particularly refreshing and floral batch of spring-appropriate cupcakes.

How did they turn out? The cupcakes are fluffy and bright with citrus, and the curd provides a powerful note of lemon that's necessary to compete with the lavender in the frosting--it's potent stuff! All in all, there's a nice balance between the two dominating flavors, and the light frosting was the right choice to pair with the curd-laden cupcakes.

Go on--embrace spring while it's still around and before the whole heat of summer barges in!

First, make the lemon curd:
In a heavy saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, cream, and butter and cook over moderately low heat, whisking constantly, 5 to 7 minutes, or until mixture just reaches a boil. Strain the curd into a bowl and stir in the zest. Cover the surface of the curd with plastic wrap and chill at least 4 hours and up to 2 days.

To make the cupcakes, first preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line standard muffin tin with paper liners. Whisk together flour and salt. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl every few minutes. Add citrus zests. Reduce speed to medium, and add vanilla. Add eggs, three at a time, beating until until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in four batches, beating until completely incorporated after each.

While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting by whipping the cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold in the lavender buds. Alternatively, you can heat the cream, add the lavender buds, chill the mixture for a few hours, strain out the buds, then whip the lavender-infused cream. Either way works wonderfully, it just depends on whether or not you mind the presence of the lavender buds.

Carve out a cone-shaped bit from the top of each cupcake. Squirt or spoon in some of your lemon curd. Top the curd-loaded cupcakes with the frosting and eat!

I know what you mean by eating flowers...I have the same issues although I love jasmine tea...I have seen so many edible flowers in salad and always reluctant to eat them ;-)Now these cupcakes with lemon curd and lavender frosting I will not hesitate to eat them...they look so pretty and delicious. Great pictures Grace...Have a wonderful week ahead!

I'm always a bit concerned that adding edible flowers to my baked goods will make them taste like bath and body works smells. But with the right recipe I'm sure that's not the case. These cupcakes look delicious!

Lemon and lavender go so well together (these cupcakes look divine), though there is a very fin line between heavenly lavender and well, soap... I'd highly recommend trying orange blossom and rose water (in very small quantities) and especially with white chocolate they're very very good :)

Your cupcakes are amazing Grace! I've never tried cooking with lavender, but have been curious about it.Now I shall have to give it a try. Love the lemon curd in these beauties too-my mouth is beginning to water!

I had lemon lavender cupcakes (made by a real chef) a couple years ago that were amazing! Unfortunately, I failed miserably when I tried to cook with lavender myself. If my lavender has any essence left, I may have to give this a try!

I am intrigued to try these. I think lavender is particularly difficult to get the balance of properly - to little and there is no flavour, to much and you are eating soap - so I commend you for trying and succeeding! :)